Observations focused on the problems of an underdeveloped country, Venezuela, with some serendipity about the world (orchids, techs, science, investments, politics) at large. A famous Venezuelan, Juan Pablo Perez Alfonzo, referred to oil as the devil's excrement. For countries, easy wealth appears indeed to be the sure path to failure. Venezuela might be a clear example of that.
The Miranda Orchid Society show was held two weeks ago. I don´t like using flash when I take orchid pictures and I only took my monopod and it was very dark. Most pictures did not come out very well, I salvaged these three:
Top left a Vanda Sanderiana, a species. On the right another Vanda.
A very nice Cattleya Lueddemanianna coerulea from Venezuela
Eduardo and Santos send their regular contributions. If my memory is right the top two, the two Waleriana´s belong to Eduardo and the remaidner to Santos.
Two spectacular Walkerianas, the one on the left lloks like a coerulea and an alba on the right.
Cattleya Bicolor from Brazil on the left, on the right Encyclia Atrorubens from Mexico
On the left the famous Cattleya Walkeriana White Heritage. On the right Cirropetalum Medusae and a nice specimen at that.
On the left, Cattleya Trianae alba from Colombia. On the right, Dendrobium Infudibilum from Asia.
On the left a primary hybrid of the statrange combination of Cattleya Schilelraiana x Pescatorea Lemmanii, likely to ahve been made by Carlos Garcia Esquivel, sounds like the type of combinations he likes.On the right Lc. China Queen.
A hybrid after my own heart, Cattleya Schilleriana x Cattleya Aclandiae
Flowering picking up, hopefully not too early for the September Miranda Exhibit. On the left top, my awarded Cattleya Jenmanii, larger flowers and more flowers than ever before. On the right a nice alba, but I have no clue what it is.
On the left a very nice and out of season Cattleya Lueddemanianna and on the right a Cattleya Percivaliana Huevo Amarillo x Sonia
Top left: This Cattleya Mossiae does not appear to know that it should have flowered three months ago. Not bad for its firest time, note the solid lip and the flaring. On the right a Cattleya Percivaliana named Gabriela.
On the left a Phalenopsis species, Phal. Cornu Cervi, anyone in Caracas that wanst one I have a few to trade. On the left a hybrid of Cattleya Broughtonia with Cattleya Bicolor.
My flowering has really slowed down, but Eduardo sent some really nice pictures of species:
On the left, Paillonante Pendiculata. On the right a very white Cattleya Walkeriana Alba.
On the left, a nice Stanhopea Grandiflora. This species can be found in the East of Venezuela and to me ius one of the most beautiful orchids there is, I used to have one when I lived in Los Teques, but it died when I moved to Caracas. It blooms for three days and has a spectacular scent, its adaption to the short flowering time, you have to attract that insect fast!. On the right a Stranticornia Saccata.
On the left, a Catasetum Pileatum from Venezuela, our “Flor de Nacar”. On the right Catasetum Penang
A year ago I thought this plant of Grammatophyllum Scriptum was going to die as it started losing leaves and turning brown. I moved it more into the sun, much brighter light and then I started using a fertilizer with Magnesium and Calcium that seemd to do the trick.
It has 8 shoots, each with 50-54 flowers, you can see all eight on the top two pictures. In the bottom two pictures a close up of the individual flowers.
Two nice Laelia Purpurata from Brazil, very similar, with petals and sepals which are pinkish. Love them both.
On the left is a very nice Cattleya Walkeriana from Brazil. This is the first flowering of 24 plants a friend brought me about two and a half years ago from that country. Very Promising! On the right another Cattleya Aclandiae, notice how it is much darker than last week´s
On the left another one of my Laelia Purpuratas, On the right a very nice flared yellow hybrid called Blc. Dora Louise Capen
Today I decided to try to take the pictures of my orchids in full sun. Results are cool, hope you like them.
On the left, a nice Laelia Tenebrosa from Brazil, I love the contrast betweem the Lip and the sepals and petals. On the right my faithful Cattleya Aclandiae.
On the left another nice Laelia Purpurata from Brazil. On the right, Schomburgkia Thomsoniana from from the Cayman Islands.
On the left a nice blue Cattleya Walkeriana from Brazil, on the right, an Equitant Oncidium hybrid.
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The Devil's Excrement 